Sawgrass Lake Park

10/14/16

Kaelyn Jenkins

Sawgrass Lake Park

     The temperature was around 80 degrees at Sawgrass Lake. While at the park we learned the differences and similarities between the ecosystems of lakes and ponds. Doodles you know a lot of sinkhole lakes are found in Florida? Sawgrass lake is a seepage lake which means it gets its water from the ground and the rain. The water is trapped the only way out is through evaporation. Sediment has a long-residence period due to this. 

     The acidity in the freshwater of the lake, created by fallen dead leaves, has a pH of 6. But the shoreline had an abundance of vegetation. In  the lake some submerged plants could be hiding. We learned there is a restriction of photosynthesis due to light not being able to reach the lower depths of the lake. Vegetation that was not on shore and not hidden below in the depths of the murky water, was floating on the surface. These floating plants thrive because they can get direct sunlight at the surface and aren't weighed down by foundation. 

     The biggest threats to this ecosystem are: humans, climate change and lead, from the nearby gun range. The gun range contaminated the lake with lead. They fixed the contamination back in 2015 and periodically check the lake for new contamination.